Traffic marker



. Patented July 29, 1930 PATENT OFFICE I HOLLOWAY KILIBORN, OF NEWHAVEN, CONNECTICUT TRAFFIC MARKER l Application filed July 30, 1929.Serial No. 382,264.

This invention relates to improvements in pavement markers which areemployed to outline lanes for trafiic or pedestrians.

Metallic disks or'trafilc markers have heretofore been secured toroadways to outline paths for traffic, and, in general, they have provenmore desirable than outlines which are painted on the pavement. Thereare, however, certain undesirable features accompanying the use of thesemetallic markers.

For example, inadequate means were provided for attaching the disks tothe pavement, and this resulted in the loss of some of the disks which,obviously, would break 1 the continuity and destroy the effect of theoutline. Furthermore, the disks have been made of metals which are softand unsuitable to retain the desired high light-reflecting polish. Themetal markers, in addition, were dangerous to pedestrians, because onestepping upon them was liable to slip on their smooth surfaces and fallto the road. The object of my invention is to provide a metallic trafiicmarker which will overcome these undesirable features. 4

A further object of the invention is to provide a trafiic marker whichmay be readily secured in position upon a. paved roadway, and which hasan outward spherical surface of hardened metal of such composition as inuse will remain polished to reflect light.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a traflic markerof spherical concavo-convex formation which has instrumentalitiesassociated therewith to extend centrally through the marker and into thepavement to securely position the marker, and which is adaptetd to wearunevenly, as hereinafter described to prevent slipping by pe- 40destrians who may step on it.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in plan, showing themarker as it is assembled upon,t-he pavement; Figure 2 is a sectionalview taken on a vertical plane extending centrally through the markerand through a section of the pavement underlying the marker, and showsthe position of the elements thereof preparatory to locking the markerin place; Figure 3 is a vertical 5 sectional view, taken on plane 33 ofFigure 1, showing the elements of the marker as they are ultimatelypositioned to fix the marker to the pavement; Figure 4 shows in front,side, and top-plan elevations one of the gripping-fingers employed toretain the marker; and Figure 5 is a bottom view of the assembledgripping-fingers which are expanded into the locked position which isshown in vertical section in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings the reference numeral 1 indicates the body ofthe traific marker of the present invention, and 2 denotes the grippingor locking-fingers which cooperate with the wedge-plug 3 to retain thebody of the marker upon the pavement C5 4. It is to be noted that thebody 1 is of spherical concavo-convex formation, and that its peripheryconstitutes a thin edge 5. Disposed inwardly of the bod is a boss 6which does not, and which des1rably should not extend downwardly to theplane of the peripheral edge 5. The marker, embodying these details ofconstruction, obviously, may seat snugly upon the pavement to preventobjects (such as snow-shovels) from catching under the edge 5. If themarker is affixed on an asphaltum roadway, due to its concaved shape, itis free to settle; that is, the body 1 may sink into the roadway untilthe asphaltum has completely filled the concavo- 60 space beneath it.Having thus settled, it is very hard to dislodge, even without theutilizatron of special attaching means.

In the pavement a hole 16 is formed over which the marker isplaced, asillustrated in 35 Figure 2, and the four gripping-fingers 2 are droppedinto place. The locking-plug 3 may then be driven downwardly .to expandthe lower ends of the fingers, and to force the barbs 7 thereof into thepavement, as shown 99 in Figure 3. The plug 3 is of a particularlyeffective shape. It is circular in cross section. throughout Its length,and is provided with a tapered head 3* which tends to facilitate itsdownward movement between the grippingfingers. Adjacent the taperedhead, the body of the plug declines inwardly to form the shoulder 3 Thisshoulder latches beneath the lower edges 8 of the fingers 2, and servesto prevent movement of any of the elements comprising the marker, afterthey have been forced into locked position, as illustrated in Figure 3.

Of course, the adaptation of mounting means which are expansible intolocking position within a hole is not considered to be new. However, theparticular form of the locking-fingers 2, and the manner in which theycooperate with the body 1 and the plug 3 are deemed to be novel. Thesefingers are desirable because they maybe inexpensively formed in astamping operation. Their heads 2 are'of arcuate formation, andcooperate with each other to automatically adjust themselves. recessedshoulder 10 in the body 1, and due to the shape of the heads 2, thefingers properly space themselvesready for the plug 3 to be driventhercbetween. It is a fool-proof arrangement, an unskilled laborer maycorrectly secure the markers to the pavement.

It has been discovered that hard stainless steel proves to be adesirable material of which to form the body 1. This steel will nottarnish, and as a matter of fact, in use it becomes and remains highlypolished, and affords a very effectual light-reflecting surface.

The gripping-fingers 2 are composed of a metal, such as steel, which ismuch softer than that of the body plate 1, and the plug 3 is formed ofmetal which is between the metals of the plate 1 and the fingers indegree of hardness. The essential point is that the plate, the fingersand the plug should be composed of metals of different degree ofhardness. This will cause the several elements to wear away unevenly,and will cause an irregular or rough top-surface to be always presentedby the marker, which rough surface will tend to prevent pedestrians fromslipping, if they should step thereon. To prevent such slipping, whenthe markers are newly installed, the upper surfaces 2 of the fingers arepointed or roughened, as shown in the drawings.

What I claim is:

1. A traffic marker including a concavoconvex metal plate having acentral opening,

That is to say, due to the my hand.

HOLLOWAY KILBORN.

a shoulder oiiset in said opening, a plurality of gripping-fingerspassing through said opening, and a fin er-expanding plug, said fingersbeing provi ed with heads to seat on said shoulder and to cooperate onewith the other and with said opening and shoulder to space the fingersaround said eXpandingp u 2. A trafiie marker including a convex metalplate having a central opening, a shoulder offset in said opening, aplurality of gripping-fingers passing through said opening, afinger-expanding plug, said fingers being provided with heads to seat onsaid shoulder and to cooperate one with the other and with said openingand shoulder to space the fingers around said expanding-plug, and the

